


Broken Heroes

by AnimationFans



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-06
Updated: 2015-10-06
Packaged: 2018-04-25 03:24:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,895
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4944898
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnimationFans/pseuds/AnimationFans
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nico always thought that nothing will ever make Percy Jackson bow, but seeing a new side of Percy, all vulnerable and raw, make him realize that everyone breaks at a certain point, that no one can stand tough all the time. He will pick up Percy’s scattered pieces, no matter how long it takes, no matter how it tears his old wounds apart and hell if he’s going to abandon Percy at the time Percy needs him most.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Broken Heroes

The war with Gaea has been over a year, and this year has been hectic. There were many dead to be mourn, many ruins to be rebuild and as usual, many errands to run for the gods. For Nico, today is just any other day like the past year. Jason is out building another shrine, while Piper and Annabeth is on a quest for Aphrodite, Frank and Hazel are busy with their studies in an university in Camp Jupiter. As for Leo, he miraculously came back with Calypso half year ago, and now they are out seeing the world, catching up on what Calypso had missed after she was locked up. Surprisingly, out of these friends, Percy is the one who he sees the least. After the first few months of rebuilding both camps and helping out other demigods, Percy and Annabeth broke up. Percy left shortly after that, claiming that he had some other things to do and probably won’t show up for a while. It’s like he’s vanished into thin air, no one’s received his word ever since.

Everyone is concerned about Percy’s whereabouts, but they have no choice but to wait. Nico has went back to Percy’s apartment, but they have already moved elsewhere. Even so, Nico shadow travels to Manhattan once a week, clinging to the fragile hope that he can bump into Percy, or even Sally and Paul on the streets, but no luck has come to that. When Nico finds Percy, he will give Percy a good punch in his face for worrying the hell out of everyone. But something keeps nagging at the back of his mind, because running away should have been the thing that Nico does, and even Nico has now grown out of it. He’s more confident after that war with Gaea, has two camps which welcomed him, and even make more friends than he can count. Not to mention Will, whom he have grown close to during the war, had help him with his trauma and tremor from wars and Tartarus. It’s impossible to completely get rid of the fear, (because Tartarus tend to leave that effect), but eventually Nico begins to think that he is okay, he will be fine. But for Percy to suddenly act like the old Nico, something must be really wrong..

Will’s voice distract Nico from his thoughts about Percy: “You are going to Manhattan again today, huh?” “Yeah, you need something?” “Nah, just really concerned about your shadow travelings.” Nico managed not to groan, after he and Will got close, they didn’t manage to work it out, because apparently Nico’s “I am over the crush for Percy Jackson” are all just talks. So, instead of being a boyfriend, Will opted to become an older brother for Nico, and he’s behaving more and more like a mother hen towards Nico lately. “I just told you last week that I have my shadow travelings under control.” “Alright, I get it. I hope you find Percy this time. I am really worried about him, all of us are.” Nico just waves a hand as respond then shadow travels to Manhattan... and knocks straight into someone. 

“I’m sorry. Are you alright?” Nico scrambles off the person. When his knock-down victim shows his face, Nico makes a mental note to send offerings to his father and all the deities that he has prayed to, because holy shit, what luck could possibly make him run in with the person he has been trying to find the past few months? Percy looks up at him, ocean blue-green eyes still as captivating as ever, but the orbs that were once filled with hope and energy are now replaced with fatigue and dread. He looks like he hasn’t have a good night sleep in months, if the bags under his eyes indicate anything. He also looks way thinner than when Nico last saw him, and Nico flinches uncontrollably at how Percy resembles his past self. Percy’s eyes widened when he sees Nico, but the expression quickly morphed into happiness as he stands up and gives Nico a hug. “Hey, dude! How are you?” Nico never knew Percy can be such a good actor, he acts all happy now, but Nico, from his own experience can tell that all this is just a fluke, and he is determined to find out why. 

“Where have you been for the last few months? We were worried sick!” Percy cringes at Nico’s outburst, but replies before Nico snaps even more: “I have some things that I need to attend to.” “And what “things” exactly?” “I cannot tell.” Percy averted his eyes and Nico can tell that he will not get any answers soon. “Fine, but in return I get to have a sleep over at your place tonight.” “What? But I...” “I just want to spend some time with you, you never show up at camp anymore.” Percy seems reluctant, but he eventually gives in: “...Okay, fine.” 

After Nico reaches Percy’s apartment, he finds out that Percy doesn’t live with Sally and Paul anymore. Percy notices his astonished expression and hastily explains that Paul and Sally moved due to their home is too far from the new school Paul is appointed to. They are now living three blocks away from him. “That still doesn’t answer why you didn’t live with them.” “I just don’t want to interrupt them.” Nico doesn’t buy it, because Percy’s acting skills may have improved, but his lies are still as horrible as ever. “I have work at Starbucks half an hour later and I will be back at 8pm. Do you want to go out for a walk or stay at my house?” “Nah, I’ll be fine on my own. I’ll just watch some TV.” “Okay then, see you later.”

Nico switches on the TV, but he must have doze off at some point, because it’s Percy who wakes him up. He notices Percy is smiling slightly, and it calms him to know that Percy can still smile genuinely like that.“What are you smiling about?” “You are cute when you sleep.” Percy pretends he doesn’t hear Nico’s sputters and takes out the pizza he ordered. As they are eating, Nico clues Percy in on what their friends are doing lately, the situation of both camps and the improvement of new demigods they brought in. Percy seems interested in what others are doing but he still refused to open up more about himself. They have a long talk, and eventually Nico falls asleep.

Nico wakes up to the sound of thrashing and whimpers in the middle of the night. He looks around worriedly, and sees Percy shaking and shivering, face covered with cold sweat and tears. Nico hurriedly shakes him awake, soothing him: “Percy, wake up! It’s just a dream.” Percy blinked blearily, and when he sees Nico, the tension of his eases. He relaxes slightly and Nico takes it as a chance to get Percy talking. “Please, Percy, I want to help. You are definitely not okay with the nightmares you are having. Don’t turn my help away like I used to reject yours.” That final sentence seems to hit a vital point as Percy takes a shaky breath and starts to pour his heart out. 

“Annabeth broke up with me because I scared her in Tartarus. I tried to drown Akhlys in her own poison when she tried to kill us off. I ... I want to see how much misery Misery can take. My powers scared me, my dark thoughts scared me, and it scared Annabeth too. Ever since we returned from Tartarus, she tried her best to act usual, but when she looks at me, there is always fear... and then I realised that maybe I was no better than the bad guys. I always thought that fear is meant for Kronos, for Gaea, for all those terrifying opponents, but when Annabeth, who’s been at my side all this time look at me with terrified expression, it hurts, Nico, it fucking hurts.” Nico flinches, trying to say something, but Percy is on a roll, tearing all his old and new wounds in one go.

“During the final war, I was being useless, I even had to rely on Jason when we were at the sea. I couldn’t use my powers without fearing it after seeing what I can do. After the war, when I saw so many campers lying dead on the floor, it triggered my memories about the Titan war. I remembered so many I failed to save, so many I had let down, Bob, Calypso, Luke, Ethan, Beckendorf, Silena, the list goes on and on. When I dream, I dreamed about my parents and those who survived are dead too. I saw you die countless of times in my dreams, Nico, and I just... can’t handle all those emotions piled up. I need to find somewhere where I won’t be reminded of what I have gone through. I even had to move out from my mother’s place because I couldn’t bear to worry them with my nightmares.” Percy’s words are beginning to come out in desperate chokes and Nico does not even hesitate when he pulls the trembling figure into his embrace, and soothes: “Your parents are fine, Annabeth and Tyson are doing great too, all your friends are out of harm’s way, so there’s no need to fear for them. You can’t bear the world on your shoulders, Percy. You have done your best.”

Percy stops trembling for a second, then he asks with a voice so soft that Nico almost misses it: “And you? Are you fine?” Nico’s heart clenches in the most painful way he imagine possible, tightens his grip on Percy’s shirt and croaks: “Yeah, and not just me, you will be fine too. We will find some way to overcome this together.” Percy doesn’t answer him, but his breathing slowly evens out, and that’s a start. “And, Percy?” “Yeah?” “I will never be afraid of you, no matter what.”He feels more tears soak his shirt as Percy mumbles a quiet “Thank you.”.

From that day on, Nico begins to live with Percy in his apartment. It is a little cramped, but both of them are content with it. When Percy is jarred awake by his nightmares, Nico will be there in an instant, rubbing soothing circles on Percy’s back; and when Nico’s own old nightmares stirred up, Percy will hold his hands and cuddle with him for the rest of the night. No words is exchanged in these occasions, and yet they always manage to calm down. Slowly but gradually, they are improving, Nico helps Percy to try master his powers once more and panic attacks become rare. It’s impossible to completely get rid of the fear, (because Tartarus tend to leave that effect), but eventually Percy thinks that he is okay, he will be fine, and he is so deeply in love with Nico di Angelo.

It is an ordinary night when Percy blurts out his confession to Nico. Nico just smiles and sealed Percy’s lips with his own. At that moment, both of them know that no matter how broken they are, no matter how hard demigod’s lives are, they will always be complete and whole, as long as they have each other.

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, guys. This is my first fandom at Archive of Our Own. I may have many mistakes and the story may not be fluent enough, but I am trying to work on it. Thank you for reading my story. Comments and suggestions are welcomed!


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